0207 249 5069As the owner of a nursery store, as well as being the person that completes the VAT returns, I am very aware of how much we pay in VAT to HMRC on behalf of our customers. VAT is charged on what the Government deems non-essential items and luxuries, so baby clothing, nappies and books are Zero rated for VAT, whilst pretty much everything else has 20% VAT incorporated into the retail price.
In the past, campaigners have managed to get the VAT rate on menstrual products such as disposable towels, tampons, washable pads and Mooncups down to 5% (after campaigning for zero VAT status), as these items are essential and not something you would buy for ‘fun’. The same reduction in VAT happened to baby and child car seats after lobbying by the industry and consumer support. What this petition is asking for is a similar consideration to be applied to all items that are only purchased to support mothers in providing babies with breastmilk.
Rather than 5% VAT I would like these items to be Zero rated for VAT, because breast milk is food.  All other essential foods are zero rated for VAT, as are formula milks and other animal and plant milks.
If you too would like to see the VAT rate of breastfeeding essentials brought down to Zero please sign my petition at.
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/35599
Thanks, Eva
But the only breastfeeding essentials are breasts
Everything else is optional.
Hi Rosie
Of course you are right, but do you really know anyone who breastfeed exclusively for 6 months and then for at least 2 years who did not buy at least 1 nursing bra and some breastpads? It’s about keeping the cost down for the family as well as stopping this flat tax on breastfeeding items being paid to a Government that does very little to support breastfeeding – even National Breastfeeding Awareness Week has stopped.
Also if you have a baby with a tongue tie or cleft palette, the ability to express quickly and efficiently with an electric pump does become essential.
Eva
Is there VAT on baby formula? What about the fact that shops are not allowed to put special offers on formula or offer reward points? Sure that is worth more a campaign than the insignificantly small amount of VAT paid on the few breast feeding aids a breast feeding mother needs to purchase?
Hi Simone, that’s definitely a discussion worth having but hopefully you’ll appreciate that we’ve taken up this cause because we’d rather not see our customers have to pay VAT on breastfeeding products that we sell. Formula milk is VAT free, as Eva mentioned in the post.